Subsea decommissioning specialist Decom Engineering has provided an update on its work offshore Australia.
In a social media post titled “Live from the Seabed: TRACS-16 Performance in Australia” the company reveals action footage of its TRACS-16 tool performing live cutting operations on the seabed.
TRACS-16 (Twin Recovery & Cutting System) is the firm’s innovative modular tool that combines cutting, lifting and recovery, designed to cut and recover pipelines up to 20m long with diameters up to 16”, although custom sizes can also be engineered.
It is ideal for decommissioning operations, with the crane-deployable tool capable of recovering sections and returning them to the deck or relocating to a subsea basket.
In a video posted on LinkedIn, the company shows TRACS-16 at work, cutting away at an unspecified subsea decommissioning site offshore Australia.
“We are getting January off to a super start with some live offshore footage from our project in Australia,” the company stated in the post.
“Here is the TRACS-16 tool performing live cuts on the seabed. We are seriously happy with the performance of this new tool in our toolbox, delivering impressive results across the campaign.”
These results include its speed, with cycle times of as little as nine minutes, with individual cuts averaging as fast as four minutes and 30 seconds “with some ever faster,” it added.
It also cited the machinery’s durability, achieving 38 cuts per blade, “demonstrating the reliability of our proprietary cutting technology.”
The post added: “This level of efficiency is exactly how we help operators minimise vessel time and keep complex decommissioning projects on track.”
The TRAC 16’s quick connect system allows for seamless attachment and detachment of the C1-16 Chopsaw, which comes with a 1,040mm blade capable of making precise cuts through pipes up to 16″ in diameter.
It also includes ROV (remotely-operated vehicle) grab bars at both ends and near the hotstab panel, ensuring easy positioning and stabilisation by the ROV.
The system is operable via ROV or topside control package.
